"The territories need to be cleared and assessed. We saw that the majority of the mines discovered after the agreement reached in November were Armenian-made. Additionally, hidden mines and explosive devices were also installed in the areas, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan's National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) Samir Poladov said at the 3rd International Conference On Mine Action "Mitigating environmental impact of landmines: resource mobilization for safe and green future " held in the city of Zangilan, APA reports.
According to him, many explosives have been neutralized: "If we look at the statistics, after the 44-day war, 361 people fell victim to landmines. 144 mine incidents took place outside the contact line. This indicates that mines were planted not only along the former contact line but also in former residential areas randomly during the period of occupation. Our goal is to clear 65,000 hectares of land every year. We use rats, as well as other technical equipments in operations. We have even begun producing our own demining devices. We are working to expedite the restoration processes so that former internally displaced persons can return to their homes. We express our gratitude to all our partners who support us."
Heidi Kühn, the Founder and CEO of Roots of Peace organization noted that we should try to plant trees in territories cleared of mines: "We have experiences related to this in other countries. We can see the processes happening around the world on social media. In addition, we should cultivate other agricultural products in areas cleared of mines. Because as an organization, we believe that clearing landmines is not enough, we must also restore cultivation."
Deputy Chair of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC IPHRC), Haji Ali stated that "We were horrified when they saw the destruction caused by the occupiers on our first visit":
"The contamination of lands by mines remains as a threat in the area and the region. This process started in the 1980s. Mines were installed not only during the occupation period but also when the occupying forces withdrew from the area."
